Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee

Professor Barbara F. Nowak is Professor Emeritus at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania and Honorary Professor at RMIT University. She did her PhD at Sydney University in Zoology, researching endosulfan residues in freshwater Australian fish and the effects of these residues on structure of fish organs. Her research interest focuses on various aspects of fish health, such as fish parasitology, fish immunology and fish pathology, including both wild and farmed fish. She is an expert on amoebic gill disease and tuna health. Professor Nowak published more than 300 papers. She is Associate Editor of Journal of Fish Diseases. She has received numerous awards for her research and supervision of PhD students. Prof Nowak was elected Fellow of Australian Society for Parasitology and Honorary Member of European Association of Fish Pathologists. She was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2021.

Lisa Paul AO PSM became the seventh Chancellor of the University of Canberra on 1 January 2024. Lisa is a prominent policymaker and social justice advocate and advisor. Lisa serves as a director and board member for a range of profit and non-profit companies, as well as a Councillor of Bond University. She was a Chief Executive (Secretary) in the Australian federal government from 2004 until 2016, serving five Prime Ministers and nine Cabinet Ministers. She has been awarded the Academy Medal for her commitment and contribution to advancing policy in higher education, science, research and innovation, along with her significant and sustained contribution to the governance of the Academy as Chair of the Audit Committee since 2021.

Professor Samuel Berkovic is a Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne and Foundation Director of the Epilepsy Research Centre at Austin Health. He is acknowledged as a world leader in the field of neurology, specifically for his contribution to understanding epilepsy. Professor Berkovic and his collaborators discovered the first gene for epilepsy in 1995 and subsequently discovered many more. His research brought genetics to the forefront of epilepsy research. He has coordinated international efforts for epilepsy gene discovery. This knowledge is now applied widely in patient care, in basic studies to understand epilepsy mechanisms and in the development of new therapies. In 2014, Professor Berkovic was Senior Victorian of the Year, became a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC), and along with Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO FAA FAHMS FRS, was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and a member of the US National Academy of Medicine. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2005 and became the 21st President of the Academy in 2026.

Professor Ian Wright is Chief Scientist at Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (Western Sydney University), also Distinguished Professor in Plant Functional Ecology, and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture. His chief research focus is understanding variation in plant functional traits (the physical, chemical and physiological properties of plant organs and tissues), including by applying microeconomic concepts to understand trait evolution (for example the ‘leaf economics spectrum’ and photosynthetic ‘least-cost’ theory). An end goal is understanding how trait variation and concepts can be used for better predicting shifts in vegetation distribution and function under future climates. Professor Wright was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2019.

Professor Anderson’s main contribution is to understanding the structure and biology of small disulphide bonded peptides of plants such as proteinase inhibitors, defensins and cyclotides. She discovered that proteinase inhibitors, specific for different insect gut enzymes are produced in the female sexual tissues of plants and act to protect the tissues against insect attack. She discovered that these tissues also express defensins which protect them against fungal infections. She carried these discoveries to a practical outcome. She used the genes encoding these peptides to create transgenic plants and demonstrated their enhanced resistance to insect attack and fungal disease in the field.

Simon Poole is an outstanding researcher and entrepreneur with many years’ experience in the field of photonics. His achievements cover research as well as successful commercialisation of advanced technology on an international scale. As a researcher he was part of the team which developed the Erbium-Doped Fibre Amplifier (EDFA), which is now a ubiquitous part of the optical fibre networks that underpin the global internet. Poole has also led the establishment of an export-competitive photonics industry in Australia, having founded manufacturing companies in Australia that have generated high-value-add export revenues.

Karma Auden serves as Chief Financial Officer at the University of New England (UNE). Prior to joining UNE in June 2024, Karma spent seven years at the University of Canberra, firstly as the Director of Finance and Business Services, and then as Chief Financial Officer. She has also supported finance teams across the higher education sector through speaking engagements, workshops and webinars. With more than 25 years’ experience in senior management accounting roles across the education and real estate sectors, Karma has led teams in both Australia and the Middle East. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, a member of CPA Australia and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. More here: https://www.une.edu.au/about-une/executive/chief-financial-officer